Apparatus for utilizing the trepidations of vehicles



M. A. CANALE AND R; FRIAS. APPARATUS FOR UTILIZING THE TREPIDATIONS 0F VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 4,1919- Patented May 11; 1920.

II I HMWL. I I 4 IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII I I nn 01f. ca m m a "(E W0 AWN m 9% a a 75 a 7 a 1 W Mn Z m I 6 ud UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MARIO AUGUSTO CANALE AND RICARDO FRIAS, 0F BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 11, 1920.

Application filed January 4, 1919. Serial No. 269,717.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, MARIO AUcUs'ro GANALE and RrcARno FRIAs, both citizens of the Argentine Republic, residing at Calle Maipu 671, Buenos Aires, Argentina, have invented new and useful Improvements in an Apparatus for Utilizing the Trepidations of Vehicles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a new apparatus for the purpose of utilizing the trepidations and shaking movements originated by the varying of level in any kind of vehicle, transforming them into a rotary motion of sufficient intensity so as to be able to set in motion any kind of apparatus which requires slow speed to work.

As it is known, generally in a railway or tram car, as well as in any other kind-of vehicle, oscillations in every direction are produced during transit owing to the unevenness of the ground level or rails, and those oscillations are felt with more or less intensity, according to the elasticity of the vehicles suspension. For these reasons all advertising placards hung in the center of railway and tram cars are constantly waving and oscillating, with more or less intensity, according to the deficiences in the level and the intensity of the speed. In the same way. if a weight is fixed in the interior of one of those vehicles, hanging on a spring, the oscillation of the weight will take place in a more or less accentuated manner, and the same thing would happen if such weight, conveniently placed inside a box, were carried by a person, an animal, or simply exposed to the action of the wind.

The elastic suspension of the oscillating weight, can be arranged in such a way that the motion may be originated in a horizontal, oblique or vertical direction.

As will be seen hereinafter, the invention consists of a heavy object, which, besides being suspended from a spring, is fastenedto a lever arm in such a form that the movement of said object is transmitted to the same in order that this (the lever arm) in. its turn, and by means of an invertible set of clutches, will set cogs into action. Then, by means of a pulley, a band or bands containing advertisements, or other similar arrangements, are set in rotary movement.

We have hereunto appended explanatory drawings, in order that our invention may be better understood.

' clination.

Figure 1 shows an advertising placard; its rolling band is set in movement by means of an oscillating apparatus constructed in accordance with our invention.

Fig. 2 shows a front elevation of the oscillating apparatus or motor, with its cover removed.

Fig. 3 is a section of same, seen from its upper'end.

Fig. 4 is an elevation section cut in accordance to line A. B. of Fig. 2, and in which the cover, the advertising band and the crystal pane seen in Fig. 1, are shown.

In'said drawings 1 is the bottom of the board which is fixed in a convenient place in the interior of the vehicle; by means of side pieces 2 and 3, it holds rollers 4 and 5 in position; the advertisingband 6 circulates in both ways over rollers 4 and 5. The board has a removable cover 7, with a crystal pane 8- leaving a visible space of the band; this space is situated between the longitudinal center of the rollers, and the width of the band. Each roller carries its respective pulley 9 and 10, over which a string 11 passes. One of the ends of string 11, after passing over guides 12 and 13, passes around pulley-motor 14.

The aforementioned pulley 14, together with cog wheels 15 and 16, is fastened to the axle 17 which is held in position by a staple 18. The double lever arm 19 moves freely on axle 17, and between its branches, hanging freely from axle 20, the pawl 21 is fixed, as well as the pendulum 22 the object of which is to change the direction of the parts, and which is being operated by means of switch 23.

The pendulum 22 has a projection 24 by means of which the pawl 25 is moved. The pendulum 22 and pawls 21 and 25 are hollow and carry each in their interior a metallic sphere, 26 and 27, which weighs down, through law of gravitation, the ends of the said parts, thus producing the required in The lever arm 19 forms, in its upper end, a prolongation 28 which, by means of link 29 is fastened with a crank to the oscillating weight 30. Weight 30 is suspended from a spring 31 held on the salient 32. The whole of the motor, in the box 33 and covered by cover 34, is arranged so as to be able to oscillate, thus giving more extension to the action of weight 30. For this purpose, bottom 33 of the box, is freely held by bolt 35 in such a manner that will allow it to turn in that point, if it was'not stopped by small wing 36, with spring 37, which is fastened on the top of the rod 38 and-allows it a certain vibration.

The construction of motor shown in the drawings has been projected to operate the advertising band 6, in an intermittent manner, from one roller to the other, that is-to say, to circulate all the band from one roller to the other one, and return it, and vice-versa. For this purpose, the outer parts of theband have in their internal side, a projecting wing-39 which is meant to operate switch 23 in order that the direction of the band can be changed. It is to be understood that the motor can equally be adapted to operate endless bands, that is to say, bands which will pass always inthe same direction, or any other similar apparatus.

The working is as follows:

Once the boX 1 is placed perpendicularly over any vehicle or body that has to be set in movement, the trepidation or oscillation of the same, caused by the lowering of the ground or rail, will cause the box 33 to oscillatemore'or less intensely, through the action of spring 37.

This disposition can be suppressed with out interfering in a sensible manner with the working of the apparaf us. Having it or not, the movement of the vehicle, and consequently of box 1, will make the weight 30 move, by law of inertia, in a tremulous or vibratory way. This motion, transmitted by link 29 to the lever arm 19 is the one that moves this lever arm in a rocking way; it also produces the operating of either of the pawls 21 and 25 onthe wheel 15 or 16, setting it into a rotary movement in one direction or the other, according to the position or inclination of the pawl. The wheel 15 operates axle'l'l' thus operating pulley 14 together with wheel 16 combined with holding pawl 25.

Supposing that the apparatus is made as shown in Fig. 1; in this case the motion of wheel 15 is indicated by the arrow, and the motion of the advertising band 6 is in an ascending way.

When wing 39 raises the switch 28, the pendulum is gradually lifted to a horizontal position, with a tendency to incline it toward the way opposite to the one shown in said figure. lVhen the inclination in that way is sufficiently pronounced, the sphere 26 slides or rolls, by law of gravity, toward the opposite end, oversetting the pendulum definitely, the pendulum, then, dashes in its motion against the upper end of pawl 21 making it change the inclination; it remains so inclined due to the changing of place of sphere 27; the projecting part 2 1 of the pendulum, dashes also against'jack 25 and makes it incline itself the same as pawl 21. In this manner, while the pawl =21 moves wheel 15 in the way the inclination has determined, pawl 25 operates-on wheel 16 in such a way that the motion produced by the pawl cannot retrocede.

So, according to what is shown in Fig. 1, each time that the weight 30 descends, wheel 15 is set to motion in an arc of a circle, more or less open, according to the extension of the oscillation movement.

When the projecting wing 39 produces the aforementioned change, the apparatus remains then in the condition shown on Fig. 2, that is to say, the motion of wheel 12 is produced in the opposite way, and every time the oscillation weight ascends. In this way, the direction of the band is also re versed, that is to say, in a descending way, continuing so until a wing provided near the upper end (Fig. 4) returns the switch and with it the aforementioned combination to the initial position.

It can thus be well'understood that the change of direction of the advertising band will be effected in a safe and automatic But, as has been already mentioned, the demonstration of the motioirby oscillation, applied to an advertising ban'd,'must only be considered'as-a model or example, because it is evident that it can be appliedfor the purpose of operating any other apparatus or arrangement that would be considered fit.

Having described and shown the nature of our invention andthe way in which it can be adapted, the following is what we claim as'our own property and invention:

1. An apparatus for utilizing the trepidations of vehicles, comprising a casing mounted to swing and having means for 'yieldingly limiting the swinging movement thereof, a power wheel, a pivoted lever, a resiliently supported weight, an operative connection between the lever and weight, and means for operating the power wheel up'on'the vibration of the casing, lever and weight.

'2. An apparatus to utilize the motive power produced by'the oscillations and vibrations of a vehicle or other body in movement, comprising a casing having limited swinging movement, a weight suspended for vibration, a lever having connection with said weight, a power wheel adapted to be operatively connectedwith the part to be moved and upon the axis of which the said lever is mounted, ratchet wheels associated with said power'wheel, and weighted pawls engageable with the ratchet wheels to cause step-by-step rotation thereof upon vibration of the weight and lever.

3. An apparatus to utilize the motive power produced by the oscillations and vibrations of a vehicle or otherbodyin'movement, comprising a weight suspended for vibration, a lever having connection with said weight, a power wheel adapted to be operatively connected with the part to be moved, ratchet wheels associated with said power wheel, a vibratory body supporting said weight and lever, tubular pawls pivoted to the lever, weighted bodies therein to vary the angular disposition thereof and cause said pawls to engage the ratchet wheels to turn the same upon vibration of the lever, said device being operable in reverse directions, and a weighted reversing member connected to the lever and actuated to reverse the direction of operation of the power wheel.

4. An apparatus for utilizing the motive power produced by the oscillations and vibrations of vehicles, comprising a vibrating casing, a power wheel, ratchet wheels on the shaft of the power wheel, a lever having spaced members and mounted upon the shaft of the power wheel, a hollow pendulum mounted between the members of the lever and having a ball therein, a hollow pawl also mounted between the members of the lever and engaging one of the ratchet wheels, said pawl having a ball therein, a second hollow pawl mounted in the casing and enga 'ing the other ratchet wheel, said pawl having a ball therein, means for operating the second pawl from the lever, a yieldingly suspended weight, and an operative connection between the weight and lever.

5. In an apparatus for utilizing the motive power produced by the vibrations of a vehicle, a support, a casing pivoted to the support, a spring connection between the support and casing to limit the swinging movement of the latter, a power wheel, a suspended weight, a pivoted lever, a connection between the lever and weight, and means for operating the power wheel upon the vibration of the casing, lever and weight.

MARIO AUGUSTO OANALE. RICARDO FRIAS.

Witnesses:

ANTONIO L. BELLO, RosINDo ROMAN. 

